Sherpa pulled away from her. The howl he let out seemed to last forever and she had to cover her ears.
“Sherpa!” His toenails smacked against the floor as he ran away from her. Tears filled her eyes while she dug through the pile of clothes trying to separate hers from his.
After she’d managed to dress, she slowly made her way back to her office to wait for Wade. At least now she understood why she felt she needed Sherpa. He was Ren.
Margy needed, wanted, them both in her life. With Sherpa she felt safe, with Ren -- she felt loved.
Wade arrived and she refused to budge until he took her to his brother.
“I don’t know where he is.”
“Let’s get something straight, Mr. Alsatian. I know your secret. I don’t understand it, and I don’t care.” She breathed erratically. “You know where he is and I’m not moving until you agree to take me to him.”
“Jesus. Come on.”
She felt his hand on her arm and stood.
* * *
Ren sat across from Max in the Seared Soul. He was tired as hell and that wasn’t normal. The scowl on Max’s face had more to do with his predicament than Ren’s. His eyes constantly flashed about the restaurant. “So what’d he say?”
“Not much to go on but it has happened before.” Max’s fingers stopped drumming for a moment. His brother only did that when he was anxious or pissed off. “I can’t believe you risked us all.”
“I didn’t have a choice.” Again, Max perused the room. “This is important, man, can’t you keep your mind on me for a minute? What the hell is happening to us?”
The pity he had heard in Margy’s voice had driven him away from her. Ren’s pride had taken a real bruising over the last month and he couldn’t handle that emotion at all. Weren’t they quite the pair -- she was blind and he was… What was he? Not a man, not a beast. Over all the years he’d lived, it had never mattered. He’d had his brothers at his side and their small pack worked and played together easing their physical needs whenever the mood struck them. Since Margy, the thought of touching anyone, anything else, made him feel sick. Max’s next words didn’t make him feel any better.
“The doc gave me a bunch of bullshit about mating. He called it ‘pairing.’ The gist of it was as a man you love her but the shepherd needs her too.” His eyes darkened and closed to slits. “The major drawback is that your dog will never mate again.”
“You mean he’ll never have satisfaction?”
“Only through you.” Max cleared his throat. “The other problem is he will become very possessive of her and could be deadly to anyone who even seems like a threat.”
“Children? She might want kids and how can I take that from her?”
“He didn’t have an answer for that. If it’s happened he doesn’t know about it.”
“Shit.”
“Is it that bad?” His brother stared at him hard. There was something else in his look but Ren couldn’t fathom what it was.
“Not for me. It’d be worse without her. I need her so bad, Max, and I know she loves me because she told Sherpa.” His throat worked up and down as he swallowed past the lump. “You should have heard the pity in her voice.”
“She told the dog she loves you but didn’t tell you?” He barked out a short laugh. “Hmph, maybe she meant she loves the dog.”
Ren glared daggers at his brother. “Don’t make me fucking hurt you.”
“Sorry. Maybe it wasn’t pity. Could have been something else.”
“It’s nice to have the Alsatians back.”
Both of them jumped, scraping their chairs across the floor. Victoria had eased up on their table and that should have been near impossible. If they hadn’t scented her, they sure should have heard her. Right now, neither of them were good examples of their breed.
At least he had an excuse. What in hell was up with his brother? He watched Max’s nose literally quiver and his mouth opened and closed but no words came out. His fingers began tapping incessantly on the tabletop again. Ren almost burst out laughing at his brother’s tongue sweeping back and forth across his lips. The indomitable Max Alsatian was speechless. Damn!
At the same moment Wade decided to make an appearance with Margy on his arm.
A deep, audible sigh broke through his lips. This day just got better and better. Ren was going to kill Wade if Sherpa didn’t beat him to it. The dog prowled back and forth whimpering inside him, causing his stomach to churn out of control. He wasn’t ready to see her yet but Sherpa sure was. “Why’d you bring her here?”
“Shit, she’s more stubborn than you are. She refused to move unless I did.” Wade pulled out a chair and guided Margy into it. “I’m tired of you all right now. I’ll see you guys later.” A wide smile split his face. “If Sherpa’s allowed out after dark.”
“Get the hell out.” Ren’s animal growled and he clenched his teeth to trap the sound.
Max still hadn’t said a word but his eyes followed Victoria around the table where she took a seat beside Margy. “I’m Victoria and I own the restaurant you’re in. You look pale, honey. Is everything okay?”
That voice again. Like balm, it flowed soothingly over him and it practically had Sherpa purring. What was it with this woman? Evidently, she had the same effect on Max. His tapping had ceased.
“Nice to meet you. My name’s Margy.” She held her hand up and Victoria took it in hers and patted it. “Would you both mind if I talk to Ren?”
“Max and I will give you some privacy.” Victoria rose and glanced from him to Margy. “Hope you’ll both visit the Seared Soul more often.” There definitely was something different about Ms. Germaine. The effect she had on them all, Max in particular, was unbelievable. She did bear watching.
“Ren --”
He faced Margy. “I don’t need your pity.”
“Is that what you think?” Her laughter settled him enough to where he could breathe. “And I thought I was a pity fuck. After all, why would someone like you want a slightly overweight, blind librarian?” The dark glasses hid her eyes from him again. “I couldn’t bear the thought of you being in pain.”
The howl of joy that tore through his stomach would have escaped if Ren hadn’t been so angry. “I’m not shallow. Margy, I love you and I wouldn’t care if you had four eyes all seeing twenty-twenty.” He touched her cheek. “And I think you’re perfectly beautiful. So does Sherpa.”
“I’m scared as hell and I don’t know if I’ll ever see again, but I know one thing for sure -- I can’t let either of you go.”
“There’s a lot you need to know, maybe you won’t like me after you hear it.”
“I assume you’ll be running around with other dogs at night?”
“When I’m not with you.”
“You… won’t pick up any strays?” Her voice cracked.
“Sherpa will never let me touch another female.” One thing worried Ren. “I -- He will become very violent if anyone tries to harm you in any way.” Margy needed to know that. “We’ll also have to tell Jack.” They had worked hard keeping what they were a secret. And now it could all be blown to bits because he fell in love.
“Uncle Jack may be more help than you think. He genuinely likes you all.”
“I know. He trusted us with you and he thinks we’re honorable.”
“Good lord! You heard everything I said?”
“It was all good, baby.” He reached down to caress her thigh beneath the table. “Christ, I want you again.” Ren took her hand and pressed it to his crotch. “Feel that.”
“Take me home.”
He scooped her into his arms, and when he saw the smile on his brother’s face across the room, he felt happier than he’d ever been. Max accepted Margy in their life and Wade would too. She wasn’t a shepherd, but their little pack was growing. That slowed his steps. “Margy, how do you feel about children?”
“One step at a time, Mr. Alsatian.” She tightened her arms around his neck. “I need to know all about y
ou, Ren. What happened to make you what you are.”
His lips covered her mouth with force. Ren’s tongue sought entrance and she let him in. She was so sweet and she belonged to him now. Sherpa settled down and the churning in his belly stopped.
The street was empty and he kissed her until he had his fill. “Just in case you decide to keep this dog under your porch, one thing you need to know is I’ll never get enough of you.”
“I hope you’re not all talk and no action.”
His laughter shattered the silence of the night as he walked with Margy in his arms toward her house. “Careful, honey, I’m at your service, but I bite.”
J. Hali Steele
J. Hali Steele would much rather be roaming where her fictional big cats live -- in the high desert of California -- so would her four furfriends. She enjoys spending time with her sisters and friends who willingly listen to her ramblings about fantasies and the paranormal world of vamps, shifters and anything else that goes bump in the night. They are a captive audience, but she promises to untie them soon!
A multi-published author, J. Hali is a RWA PAN member, she belongs to its Passionate Ink and ESPAN chapters and she’s a member of Liberty States Fiction Writers. When she’s not writing, she can be found snuggled in front of the TV with a good book, a cat in her lap and a cup of coffee.
For more information, you can visit her at www.jhalisteele.com. She blogs every Friday at www.paranormalromantics.blogspot.com and she answers all emails at [email protected].
Growl and roar -- it’s okay to let the beast out. -- © J. Hali Steele
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Shepherd’s Watch: Serviced Page 5